


there's nothing in this world i wouldn't do

by themysteriousinternetentity



Series: The Trilobite Codex [1]
Category: Girl Genius (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Body Horror, Character Death, Death, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, jaegermonsters, let me know if i need to up the rating or tag differently i am v new to this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 08:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16280711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themysteriousinternetentity/pseuds/themysteriousinternetentity
Summary: Agatha rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. “I shouldn’t have expected any other reply.” She bit her lip, narrowed her eyes, then sighed. “I’m going to make more Jaegers.”Gkika’s jaw dropped, and it was clear that if Khrizhan had been drinking anything it would have been spewed across the room. He spluttered for a moment before replying.“You- you vant to-” suddenly a grin overtook his face. “Yaz, Mistress. Dot is very gut. You have some in mind?”Gkika was grinning too. “Vill haff to get de place ready for the troth again. It’z been too long.”





	there's nothing in this world i wouldn't do

**Author's Note:**

> Edit:  
> Disclaimer: I do not own Girl Genius and make no claims of such. I write fic for fun and to show my love for the comic. I make no money off of this and do not want to. My works are not approved by, sponsored by or affiliated with Studio Foglio LLC or Airship Entertainment.

“I’m still not okay with this idea.” Agatha scowled as she leaned back against her lab bench and fiddled with one of her tiny clanks. Violetta stared back evenly, arms crossed over her chest. “It’s not safe. I’ve gone over the notes a thousand times, but- you have a one in ten chance of even surviving.”  


Violetta shook her head. “I know. You’ve pointed that every time you go over the notes, but I’m okay with taking that chance. I wouldn’t have even brought it up if I hadn’t already thought through the consequences. I really do want to do this.”  


Agatha frowned and reached out to the lab bench. After she patted her hand around for a moment, Violetta came to her rescue and handed her the tiny screw she was looking for. “Thanks.” She fussed with the inside for a moment, then looked back up. “I’m not comfortable helping you put yourself in danger. If something goes wrong...even if everything goes as well as it could, I could still be responsible for your _death._ ”  


“Look, I’ve put myself in danger many times for you. Many times. This is just an extension of that!” Violetta had uncrossed her arms and started to pace as she ran through the worn out argument. “And it’s not as though I’m the only one who wants to either!”  


Agatha fumbled, and a gear went flying. “Wait, what?” This was new, an unexpected break in the oft-tread pattern of counterpoints. “Someone else wants to take the brau?”  


Violetta snorted. “Are you kidding me? Once the possibility came up there was a _mob_ of people who wanted to.” She saw Agatha frown and hurried to explain. “I wasn’t spreading any stories, okay? I asked Van for advice on convincing you, but he’s always hanging out in that coffee shop, you know? So people overheard.”  


Agatha closed her eyes, a long-suffering expression on her face. “You are the least sneaky smoke knight I have ever met. And we will come back to the topic of you and Van _colluding_ against me later.”  


“I’ve told you, I’m not a very good smoke knight.” She pouted and sat on the table across from Agatha, her legs woven together in a position that couldn’t be comfortable. “And we’ve been working together for years, come on. If me and Van and Moloch didn’t talk you’d be dead by now.”  
“You- you-” Agatha spluttered for a moment, but she couldn’t find an honest way to deny that point. Recognizing defeat, she switched back to the topic at hand. “So, who else wants to be a Jaeger?”  


Violetta settled her arms behind her and leaned back. “Let’s see. Gkika would have a better list than me, she’s been narrowing them down.”  


“They went to _Gkika_?” Agatha’s tone had grown dangerous. “I never said-”  


“Hold your clanks, it’s normal. Apparently the generals keep a list, in case one of your family wants to make Jaegers right now, at once, immediately.” Agatha honestly couldn’t argue against that being a good practice. “Once she took out anyone who was obviously too young or too old, or who couldn’t fight, or who was clearly not going to survive the brau-”  


“How many of those volunteered?”  


Violetta reached up a hand to rub her forehead. After all this time, Agatha still let herself be surprised by Mechanicsburgers. “Lots, okay? A lot of people volunteered. But Gkika narrowed it down to those who would do best for a first run.” She very carefully did _not_ mention the other thing Gkika had said- that the first time making the brau would be even riskier for those taking it. “Um. Ela volunteered- I don’t know if you remember her, the girl we rescued from the Wastelands awhile back?”  


“Hard to forget that situation,” Agatha snorted.  


“Right. Tim Rainer wants to try--his grandpa rode with the Jaegers you know. He was raised on the stories. And Nicolae Wright, he’s one of the people who got stuck outside the time stop. Who else...you met Paul, right? The snail farmer’s son, took out three of the Baron’s soldiers bare handed?” Agatha nodded. “Yeah, he volunteered. Gabi did too, she’s--”  


Agatha interrupted her before she could continue. “There’s really that many people?”  


Violetta nodded.  


“Well.” She stood up and set the tiny clank down behind her. As it scampered off, she turned back to Violetta. “Who am I to refuse them all the choice?”  


She slumped for a moment, then straightened up. Gripping Violetta’s shoulders, she looked into her eyes. Every trace of Sparky command was gone from her voice, as she asked softly: “Are you sure? Are you really certain you want to do this? It’s for life, and your life expectancy is going to change dramatically—either way.”  


Violetta’s stubborn look softened a bit, and she gripped Agatha’s arms as she looked back, willing her to feel how serious she was. “I’m sure. You’ve done…you’ve done so much, my lady. This is something I can do for you.” Agatha started to interrupt, but Violetta tightened her grip and continued. “Don’t say I’ve done enough. I’ve done my duty, I’ve fought for you, but you’ve given me a _home_. Let me do this.”  


Agatha pursed her lips, looked at her for another long moment, then sighed and let her arms drop. “Fine. I’ll talk to the generals tonight. But you get to be the one to tell Tarvek.”  


“What? No! Mistress-” Agatha was already out the door before Violetta could finish her objection. “Dammit. The moron is gonna kill me! As if he hasn’t risked his life over stupid stuff enough…She did that on purpose, didn’t she?”  


“OH YES. VERY MANIACAL, I’M QUITE PROUD.”  


Violetta huffed at the Castle. “You shut up.”

 

___

Agatha put her hands on her hips and looked at the two people standing before her. Gkika and Khrizan were the only Jaegergenerals in town right now, and this was traditionally a discussion that needed to be had immediately. The others would just have to live with being left out.  


“You vanted to see us, Mistress?” asked Khrizhan. Gkika grinned toothily beside him.  


“Thinking ov starting a fight, mebbe?” she asked hopefully.  


Agatha chuckled. “I think we have quite enough fights going on right now, don’t you?”  


“No such thing.”  


Agatha rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. “I shouldn’t have expected any other reply.” She bit her lip, narrowed her eyes, then sighed. “I’m going to make more Jaegers.”  


Gkika’s jaw dropped, and it was clear that if Khrizhan had been drinking anything it would have been spewed across the room. He spluttered for a moment before replying.  


“You- you vant to-” suddenly a grin overtook his face. “Yaz, Mistress. Dot is very gut. You have some in mind?”  


Gkika was grinning too. “Vill haff to get de place ready for the troth again. It’z been too long.”  


Agatha grimaced as she answered. “I have no idea what’s involved other than making the Brau; you’ll have to walk me through everything.”  


“Iz no problem. Haz happened before.” Khrizhan shrugged. “You family, they do not always live verra long. Sometimes they don’t teach de kids everyting. We keep the tings ve know, just in caze.”  


Agatha nodded. “Good to know. And as for who...” she sighed. “Violetta’s the one who convinced me, and she’s determined. She told me you had a list of volunteers?”  


Gkika nodded. “She vill make a gut Jaeger. Very loyal, very fighty. I vill give hyu de other names.” She eyed Agatha shrewdly for a moment. “Hyu aren’t happy, are hyu?”  


Agatha huffed. “It’s not that I’m opposed to the _idea_ of making Jaegers, but the death rate is just—I’m not happy, no. I don’t want my people in danger, and certainly not _avoidable_ danger.”  


Gkika sighed, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Iz gud dot hyu care, sveethot. But ve vould not be _Jaegerkin_ if ve did not take de risk. And dose dat die, dey are still Jaegerkin. Dey are buried vith their hats in a place of honor. Hy vill show you later, mebbe?”  


Agatha blinked. “I…that would be good. I would appreciate that.” She huffed, and set her shoulders back, determined. “Now, how is this going to work?”

___

“Is it weird that I’m proud?” Tarvek asked Gil as he paced around the room. “Horrified, and shocked, and terrified for her, but—I argued with her of course. She’d think I’d been replaced by a clone or something if I hadn’t.”  


“Don’t even joke about that,” muttered Gil. “Not again.”  


“I’m terrified she’s going to die, but there’s no way I could talk her out of it at this point.”  


“And if she managed to convince Agatha-”  


“Exactly. She must’ve had some damn good arguments.”  


Gil blinked in shock. Tarvek generally refrained from cursing except in fairly extreme situations. “You really are terrified, aren’t you?”  


Tarvek slumped on the bed by Gil, who immediately wrapped his arm around him. “She’s- you know how my family is. She’s the only one who I can _trust_. She’s always been that way. Absolutely irritating, and she always thinks she knows best, but—she cares about me. If she- if she _dies—_ ” His voice broke at that, and Gil turned and hugged him. There wasn’t anything he could say. Not really. They all knew the risks, and Violetta was making her choice.  


So instead, he hugged Tarvek close. Rubbing his back, he reminded him, “No matter what else. No matter what happens, you’ll still have us. You’re not going to be alone again.”  


“That doesn’t make it okay.”  


“…no. No it doesn’t.”

 

___

A week later, everything was ready. Agatha had spoken to each candidate, tried to convince them to change their minds, but they’d all been determined. Besides, Gkika had insisted that it would be bad luck for any fewer to take part. “Alvays thirteen, dot’s de rule.”  


They’d had some damn good reasons, too.  


Ela, who they’d found alone in the Wastelands...she’d never told them what had happened out there, but she didn’t want to feel powerless ever again.  


Tim, who’d grown up to his grandpa’s tales of Jaegers...his grandpa and the rest of his family were gone now, lost to the battles that had raged across the town. Not many families had been hit so hard. He wanted to make his grandpa’s memory proud, and he wanted somewhere to belong.  


Nicolae, who’d been left outside the time stop. Stranded in what was basically a military base for two years. He’d spent a formative part of his growing up there, gone through a rambunctious teenagerhood surrounded by what were, honestly, ancient rambunctious children. They were already his family, in most of the ways that counted.  


Paul, who’d fought and bled for the town and the Heterodyne he didn’t even know. He knew what this decision would cost him. He had the right to make that decision.  


Gabi, who’d been married to a Jaeger for ten years. She had discussed the risks with him before even bringing it up, and she wanted the chance to stay married to him for a long time.  


Victor, whose thirteen-year-old brother had had to be revived after a tragic accident. Their town had chased them out with pitchforks and torches, and Mechanicsburg had welcomed them with open arms. (The brother had volunteered too, but Gkika was adamant that attempts at taking the brau after death never ended well. Agatha was not inclined to question her on that).  


Gheorghe, who’d fought by her side and saved her life when a Spark managed to build something that targeted Jaegers. (They’d _dealt_ with the Spark. Permanently).  


Simon, who’d been saved by the Jaegers when they stopped hive engines from reaching his town. Apparently a Jaeger had snatched a slave wasp from right in front of his face and _eaten_ it. He wanted to be like that, resistant enough to danger that nothing could stop him from helping people.  


Remus hadn’t explained his reasoning in full, but Agatha had been hesitant to push. He’d muttered something about past mistakes.  


Petru, who Agatha had been the most hesitant to allow. He was the youngest of the volunteers, still gangly limbed and full of determination and excitement. But she’d looked at him and she’d seen many of the jaegers she knew. He’d be happy with them, she knew.  


Marin, who’d been rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building by Jaegers during the clean-up after the battle. Like Simon, he wanted to help others.  


Ignat, whose own father was a Jaeger--who he hadn’t seen for nineteen years because of the agreement with the Baron, and another two after that when his father was trapped in the town. He didn’t want to be left behind again.  


And of course, Violetta.

 

___

Agatha had spent three days straight in the lab, aided by a few eager Jaeger volunteers. No one else was permitted near the recipe, and it was a very labor-intensive process. When she’d finished, she passed out for eighteen hours. Word was sent to the candidates as soon as she woke up.  


The ceremony was held in the Great Movement Chamber, within sight of the Dyne that would power the transformation. Agatha wore a clean white labcoat and gloves, hair pulled back into a bun (although those pesky wisps still stuck out).  


The thirteen stood in front of the river, and Agatha strode out from the shadows, flanked by the two Jaegergenerals. Her eyes were piercing as she scanned the line, looking for any hesitation, any second thoughts. There was none. She lifted her chin and began to speak.  


“I am the Heterodyne. You are here because you are my best. My most loyal. You are here fully of your own choice. None have compelled you. None will compel you. If you have any doubt as you stand before me, leave now.” She waited for a moment, but no one moved. “Are you ready for what is to come?”  


“We are,” they replied in unison. “We are here because you are the Heterodyne, and we are loyal. None have compelled us and we will not leave. We will serve you and your house for the rest of our days. We are yours.”  


None of them stuttered over the words--they were only a formal declaration of what they’d already declared in their hearts. Agatha strode past them to the river, and pulled on a rope trailing out of the water. A bottle was tied to the rope, and had been resting in the very heart of the Dyne at its source.  


Gkika came forward with a stack of cups and handed one to each volunteer. Agatha followed behind. She poured the Brau into each of the cups, only a fingers height. A mere swallow, to determine their fates.  


The liquid was impossible to describe, all colors and no colors at once. It hissed as it settled into the cups, and after pouring it for each person, Agatha passed the bottle to Khrizhan and laid her hands on the future Jaeger’s shoulders.  


“No matter what happens today, you have served me well. You are **mine**.”  


Finally, when she’d spoken to each volunteer and each of them held the Brau, she stood in front of them. The Dyne was behind her, its glow surrounded her.  


“When you are ready, you may drink.”  


None of them hesitated. To a one, they swallowed the brau. Cups clattered to the ground. Some collapsed immediately, while others gripped their stomachs. Violetta locked eyes with Agatha for a long, terrible second- and grinned. Then, she too collapsed.  


After that, there was screaming.

 

___

The transformations would take a week to rewrite their bodies. It was impossible to be sure anyone would survive until they woke up.

___

Four died on the first day. Nicolae, Remus, Simon, Ignat. Their bodies couldn’t handle the shock, and their hearts gave out.  
Agatha went to each of their families in person, and put the hats on their bodies herself. (Ignat was buried in his father’s hat).

 

___

She didn’t leave the new Jaegers at all the second day.

 

___

The third day, another one died. Paul’s lower teeth grew through his own skull. The back ones had grown into fangs, not just the front.  
Agatha stitched up his face so his family could bury an intact body.

 

___

The fourth day, three died. Tim, Gabi, Petru. Their skeletons were twisted and misshapen. Nobody could tell what went wrong or why. (Gkika said there were always a few).  
Agatha talked to their families, but these would be closed-coffin funerals.

 

___

The fifth day, no one died. Agatha slept next to the five who were left.

 

___

The sixth morning, Marin suffocated. His body had attempted to grow gills, but had closed off his airways before the gills had opened.  
Agatha kept watch that night. She’d cut their airways open herself if she had to.

 

___

Gheorghe and Ela died that night. Extra limbs had started growing the third day, and it proved to be too much strain on their bodies.  
Agatha spent hours trying to revive them. Nothing worked.

 

___

Two were alive the seventh morning.

 

___

That afternoon, they woke up.

 

___

Violetta was aware of everything at once. Usually, she would assess her situation before moving when she woke up—a product of smoke knight training, and the years spent adventuring with Agatha.  


This time, she bolted upright. The room smelled of _everything_. She inhaled sharply, then sneezed. Disinfectant and medicine and blood and beer and oh that was Victor wasn’t it and—what _was_ that? She followed the most amazing, indescribable scent and swung her head to the left—was that Agatha?  


No wonder the Jaegers always—the Jaegers. She was a Jaeger now. She’d done it! She’d be able to look after Agatha for the rest of Agatha’s life. And then Agatha’s kids! And grandkids! This was _amazing_.  


She noted in the back of her mind that Agatha’s face was trembling as she looked at her, but was quickly distracted by assessing herself. She didn’t have fur, but her skin was definitely different. Almost…not quite scaled, but something close, she’d say. It was also bright yellow.  


She went to poke at it, but froze. Right, claws. She had claws. Better not to poke with those. She didn’t seem to have any extra limbs, but apparently those sometimes grew in years later. She had time. She had all the time in the _world_.  


Belatedly, she turned back to Agatha. “W-vell?” Violetta had almost skewered her own lip with her new teeth, and a bit of blood dribbled out of her mouth for her trouble. It smelled of a thousand things, and she’d licked it up before she had a moment to question the action. She needed a mirror, but she was pretty sure her tongue didn’t go that far before. “How do I look?”  


Shakily, Agatha grinned. “You look _amazing_.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you SO MUCH to Doc and Scribeprotra for your feedback, and super thanks to gisho for a ton of advice and help. Y'all were so helpful.


End file.
